Page 86 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
His words touched me, but I was afraid I had to spoil the moment. “No sunblock, which was dumb, but I’m going to burn if we don’t find shade.”
He widened his gaze. “Fuck. Okay. Let’s go. We can walk toward town and get a car from there. Sorry I didn’t think about it.”
“Not your job to think about my sunblock.” I kissed his chin. “Otherwise, I would stay here kissing you all day, if I could.”
Did I just say that?Heat flooded my cheeks, and I flinched, but he caught the expression and grinned at me. “I love that you said that. Come on. I would love to stay here all day kissing you, too, but I won’t let my redhead get too much sun.”
We turned to leave but he abruptly stopped me, putting his arm around my back. “Shit.”
I saw it then. A group of guys approached us, and I recognized one of them. The brother from New Jersey who Julian clocked the night before sported a black eye but otherwise didn’t look too hurt or upset.
In fact, he wore a big grin. So did the other two guys.
“Lent,” the one next to Jersey greeted us first. “This is quite a coincidence. Who’s your friend?”
Phoenix’s body felt strangely stiff and hard next to me. He wasn’t happy about the situation, which made me tense up, too.What is the problem?
“This is Alatheia,” Jersey answered for Phoenix. “Don’t say anything about her or Julian might appear out of nowhere and hit you in the eye.”
This made the first guy bounce on his feet. “Dude, is this the girl who got you hit in the eye? I love it. And it was Julian? He’s the nice one.”
I couldn’t help but remember Phoenix and Jeremy joking about the same thing the night before.
Finally, Phoenix spoke. “Don’t talk about my family. Just don’t.” He visibly swallowed. “This is Alatheia. Alatheia, this is Jo and Randall.” Jo, the guy who sold him drugs right before the art museum? The one Jeremy wanted to punch? I figured that was why Phoenix was so tense, but what were they doing there? “Don’t talk about Alatheia, or to her, either. Let’s go.”
“Hold on,” Jo said and held up his hands. “You must be getting low. Want some more? I have it on me. We could take care of it right now.”
Jersey grinned. “And if you want to spot me some because, you know, your brother hit me, and it made my father go nuts, since I am obviously a pussy, that would be fine, too.”
Phoenix tilted his head. “You want to talk about this now? Here? In the middle of the beach, where anyone could see us? While I’m alone with Alatheia? Not happening, guys. Get your own drugs. Jo, I’ll talk to you later.”
He tugged my hand and led me away from his drug dealer, the kid from Jersey, the Randall guy. I hurried to keep up with him so he didn’t have to drag me.
We were walking back toward town before he spoke again. “I can’t believe that just happened.”
I grunted noncommittally. “You really weren’t happy to see them.”
He snorted. “That’s an understatement. No, I didn’t plan to run into them while I was alone with you. They’re relatively good people, for drug dealers, and the kid douchebag we have to put up with every summer. I mean they’re fine, I think? But things can go wrong. There can be violence.” He winced. “I’m not letting anything like that happen to you.” He stopped walking and pulled his hand back. It trembled slightly, so he steadied it with his other hand. “The last thing Barrett said to me was to keep you safe, and then that happens?”
I didn’t understand. “I didn’t feel threatened. I’m fine.”
“Right, but the implication was that you wouldn’t be safe with me. Youaresafe with me. I promise you that, Alatheia. You are.”
I believed him. Maybe it was senseless, maybe I was foolish, but I did. “I know that. I do.”
He pulled me into a tight hug, his scent enveloping me. “Sorry, I just ...” His voice trailed off.
It would have been easy for me to suggest he get help or stop or do whatever he had to do so that he didn’t have to have moments like that. But, I wasn’t an idiot. Phoenix had to want it for himself, and I wouldn’t trivialize how hard that was going to be for him. If it was simple, he probably would’ve stopped already.
“Whatever you are worried I might be thinking, I’m not.” I whispered in his ear. “So don’t worry. It’s been a beautiful day.”
He audibly let out a breath he must have been holding. “I worry about just about everything all the time.”
I knew the feeling. “It’s exhausting, right?”
“It is.” He smiled again. “Are you hungry? Have you eaten today?”
“We had a muffin earlier. I don’t know when I have to get ready for whatever we are doing tonight, so I don’t know if I should try to eat a real meal now or wait.”
